December 16, 2022

Dear Friends,



One of the many animal cruelty issues SHARK has been working on this year is the cruel steer tailing and horse beatings at charreadas in Boone County, IL. The following is a video of some of the contestants beating, spurring and abusing their horses:

Horses Beaten, Hard Reigned, Spurred in Boone County

One of the horse abusers - Jose Aguilar was charged with Criminal Misdemeanor. His next court date is December 20, 2022.

See court record link here.

Not surprisingly, Jose was arrested two weeks later for Domestic Violence. The Federal Bureau of Investigations has been proven that those who abuse and kill animals are also violent to humans.

See court record link here.

The last steer tailing event for the season was a particularly brutal and deadly day of steer tailing. One steer was paralyzed (see below) and dragged out of the arena by his horns and his head smashed into a gate on the way out due to the incompetence of the driver of the tractor. After hours of suffering, he was dragged into a dump bucket and taken behind the barn and shot. The first shot didn't kill him and the incompetent shooter waited a few more minutes before shooting him again, killing him.


Another steer (pictured below) suffered a broken leg and was also subjected to additional torture before being hauled behind the barn in the dump bucket and also shot.

See video below:

Animal Hell in Boone County, Illinois

Fortunately, Boone County Animal Services responded to our call and came out to investigate the two injuries. 

Property owners Jose and Maria Lopez have each been charged with two counts of animal cruelty and two charges of failure to perform owner's duties. See links below:

Maria Lopez
Jose Lopez
 

Great reporters from local news station WTVO put together a comprehensive story on this issue, but a over month later, management is still refusing to allow the story to air. See video below:

Is WTVO News Dumping Animal Abuse Story?

Please use the following email block to contact WTVO:

[email protected], [email protected], msilecchia@fox39.com, 
[email protected], [email protected]

Contact Gary Weitman EVP & Chief Communications Officer 
(972) 373-8800 (office)

Jose Cabezas
Station/Program Manager
1917 N. Meridian Road
Rockford, IL 61101
p: (815) 963-5413

Michael Silecchia
General Manager & VP

News Director Coventry Adrian - 815-963-5413

A proposed email could include the following:

I have seen video links from Showing Animals Respect and Kindness of the brutal steer tailing rodeos and horse beatings held in Boone County, IL in this year.

The rodeos violate the Illinois Humane Care for Animals Act and the Illinois Stock Contractor Requirements. 

Two property owners hosting some of these events have been charged with violations of the Illinois Humane Care for Animals including two counts of animal cruelty and two counts of failure to perform owner's duties.

One of the horse abusers - Jose Aguilar was charged with Criminal Misdemeanor. Jose was arrested two weeks later for Domestic Violence. The Federal Bureau of Investigations has been proven that those who abuse and kill animals are also violent to humans.

The public has a right to know what is going on in their community, especially violent criminals imperiling their communities. Management should not be endangering communities and protecting criminals by withholding the truth. 

Please run this story and provide updates on this issue and the criminals charged with violating state laws.

I await your response.

Sincerely,
Your name

Please let us know what responses you receive.

Thank you for helping the victims of these brutal events!